What’s Next for Pixar?

Published by Jeff Leins on: June 12th, 2007

The latest Time Magazine and Variety are talking about the next projects for Pixar.
Wall*E is due in June 27th, 2008, about a robot looking for his place in space… or something with less rhyming.
Up, to be released on June 12th, 2009, centered around a 70-year-old man who teams with a wilderness ranger to fight beasts and villains. Monster’s Inc. director Pete Docter is on board, along with writer Bob Peterson.
And they are kicking around script ideas for a possible Toy Story 3 for 2010.

This may not seem like news. Just titles and release dates. But it’s significant because Pixar equals quality. Like Disney in the early years where every hand-drawn animation became an instant classic, Pixar hasn’t missed once. Every movie they’ve made has been a hit with audiences and a success at the box office. Now Disney owns Pixar, so maybe all is right with the animated world again.

Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monster’s Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars. And Ratatouille on it’s way on June 29th. There are plenty of favorites in that list. Maybe some aren’t as great as others, but you can’t deny the gap between Pixar and everyone else.

The key to Pixar, and something they credit in every interview I’ve ever read, is that they develop the story first. Other studios look for the profit. Which is why we get diminishing returns for franchises like Shrek, who will star in FIVE of his own movies. While the other animation studios are embarrassing themselves with multiple variations of penguins, Pixar is creating original, heart-warming stories and animating them better than anyone else.
There’s even an article in the latest Time Magazine titled “Why Pixar is Better.” I’ve gushed enough, so let a professional tell you why they’re great.